British actress Cynthia Erivo said feeling like an outsider and “not fitting in” drew her to the role of Elphaba in the upcoming blockbuster Wicked.

Erivo stars alongside US pop singer Ariana Grande as Glinda in the film version of the hit Broadway and West End musical.

The two-part film explores the friendship between the pair before they become estranged in the classic stories by L Frank Baum, in which Elphaba is known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda as the Good Witch of the South.

“When I first saw it a good few years ago, I felt like I recognised something in the character, the feeling of being on the outside, being a bit different, not fitting in,” actress Erivo said of her character on US chat show The View.

“And so I guess there was something about it that felt familiar, and I felt like it was important to be a part of that storytelling, because I could understand it well.”

The 37-year-old said she has always felt as though she was “different”.

“I think I’m a bit of an odd one out often. I walk into the room, and especially in this particular field of work, I’m different,” she said.

“There aren’t many who look like me. I stick out, I’m an odd one out.”

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the premiere of Wicked”
Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande arrive at the premiere of Wicked (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Erivo said being different means that “the space isn’t always there for you”, explaining that it has “taken a lot to get here”.

“I hope that people see Elphaba and understand if they feel different, and if they feel like they’re on the outside, that that only makes them more special,” she added.

It comes after a “misprint” on the packaging of Wicked dolls, released by toy giant Mattel, led buyers to a pornography site instead of the web page for the movie.

In a statement, the toy company said: “We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.”

Idina Menzel, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Kristin Chenoweth at the premiere of Wicked
Idina Menzel, from left, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Kristin Chenoweth (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The original stars of the musical Wicked reunited to join Grande and Erivo for the Los Angeles premiere of the film over the weekend.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth starred as witches Elphaba and Glinda respectively when the Broadway musical opened in 2003.

Wicked will be released in the UK on November 22, with part two expected in November 2025.